Upon A Dream
by PleaseSmile
Summary: While trapped in the ice castle Edmund has a strange dream. But seriously who could sleep in that cold cell?


He couldn't really escape the damp maze, the fog kept turning him back to the hallway where his cell was. It was easy enough to break the chains round his legs, though it was odd that the faun in the other room didn't wake up. Here he was running around a frozen castle, with no exit available. But wasn't that the nature of dreams, to dangle desperate wishes in front of your face and yet the closer you get the farther they seem? Edmund returned now to his cell, where else would he go? He fancied calling for the curly haired goat man behind the bars, but that seemed impossible now too. The boy was tempted to stomp his foot, but that would be childish. He went back to sitting by his chains, and the whispering came again. Ever since he fell asleep, at least he thought so; the whisper would come nagging in his ears. Edmund felt more than heard that if he concentrated on the noise the thing whispering to him would come closer. He was not sure if it was a trick from the witch or him going bonkers. Yet this was a break from the monotony of his imprisonment, freezing his arse off eating stale bread and brackish water from the sneering dwarf. The witch wouldn't call for him or visit, what else as he to do? He felt betrayed and wronged at the same time, he had wanted something more with his siblings - but the witch proved too much. Being king by himself would be boring, and he knew now he couldn't trust the lady in white that seduced him with sweets. The whispering did not cease, but turned soft and gentle - like a breeze tickling the ears. Edmund had enough of being the pawn at this moment, he wouldn't let the witch have her plans - he would do what he pleased from now on - at least for the moment. First thing first was to get rid of the whispering in his cell, so he stood on his feet and really - properly listened to the faint voice. If this was his dream he would control it, no Pevensie - especially him- would be a coward. His father was brave to be in the war, so too could Edmund be brave and face his fears.

"Alright, stop it!" He shouted.

The whispering did not stop, merely grew stronger.

"I'm not afraid, show yourself!" He glanced once at the still sleeping faun. "This is my dream, so play by my rules..."

He shivered and twisted to look behind him, as if someone had tapped him on the shoulder. No one stood there, so he crouched down by the wall and dropped his head between his knees.

"Please, just wake up Edmond! Just wake up!"

The whispering stopped and a crunch sounded in his cell. Edmund closed his eyes and whimpered in discomfort. If only he could wake up, before the dream turned into a nightmare.

"Why do you want to wake up?"

He shot up in surprise and fell back on his bum. Standing in the middle of the floor was a girl, around his age, barefoot and green eyed. She wore a long tunic of brown material, with gaps in the sleeves. Either he was losing his mind inside a dream, or this girl was another trick of the witch. But he composed himself and noticed the whispering stopped, and that witch couldn't possibly enter people's dreams. Ignoring the fact that the girl appeared out of thin air, he gathered his breath and spoke, after all this was his dream.

"Were you the one whispering just a moment ago? Well you can stop now."

"But I just did," the girl responded in a calm voice with a sarcastic edge. "You wanted me to show up, and I did that too."

"Am I imagining you? Can't say I remember someone like you."

"What does that mean? Is this image not pleasing to you? I thought this look would be not scary enough."

"What do mean? Not scary, that's not proper grammar."

"As if you spent long enough in school to figure that out, you just escaped the war!" The girl slapped her hands over her mouth. Edmond sprang to his feet.

"How did you know that? I didn't tell you anything!" Edmund, alarmed, looked around the girl for any sign of a trap or falsehood.

"But you did Edmund Pevensie, you were thinking so much and so loud. How could I not pick up on that?"

"You read my mind?" He crossed his arms.

"If you must know, you were thinking out loud - in your head - even at my distance I heard your thoughts."

"But you're here, in this cell."

"Yeah, and the door is open."

"But I can't go anywhere!" Edmund narrowed his gaze at the girl. "Since we're in my dream you have to tell the truth, no tricking me into anything."

"I wouldn't dream of doing that, how else could you trust me?"

"Why trust you? I don't know what you are; I'm the only human - son of Adam - in this place."

"That's why I'm here, to introduce myself."

"Well go on then."

"Hello human." The girl waved at him with both hands. "My name is An'eraen."

"That's an odd name you have."

"Well, it's better than the longer version."

"What?"

"My true name is longer and harder to sound. It's this wide," the girl spread her arms out wide in example.

"So, what are you? You look human…"

"I am draco," Edmond looked confused. "You know, scaly wings, long tail, fire breathing?"

"A dragon then…"

"Correct!" The girl clapped her hands once.

Edmond glanced down, and noted for the first time the scales on her hands. Now that he truly paid attention, there were hints of scales rising from her skin wherever the clothes were torn on her.

"Dragons don't invaded people's dreams."

"Have you met a dragon before?"

"I have now." He turned to lean against the less cold wall. "Why are you here, besides spying on my thoughts?"

"I want to flee, just as you do."

"So?"

"Let's become a team, and escape together!" The girl rocked on her feet.

"But I'm asleep and still chained to the floor."

"Oh, that fact escaped my plans."

"Then go bother someone else, I can't help you."

The girl stared hard at Edmond, then down to the loose shackles by his feet.

"Then I'm sorry, Edmond Pevensie. I can only hope you free yourself soon." The girl turned to the archway of the cell and walked out. She turned to the boy for a last glance.

"If you ever see a statue of a dragon, please…Break it."


End file.
